The term marginal sea commonly has two differing meanings.
As an oceanographic term, marginal sea indicates a partially enclosed sea adjacent to or widely open to the open ocean at the surface, but bounded by submarine ridges on the sea floor.
As a geopolitical term, marginal sea is equivalent to territorial waters. Defining what naval territory falls under a state's jurisdiction as "marginal sea" is important in determining what maritime resources that state can exploit.
Read more about Marginal Sea: Marginal Seas of The World
Famous quotes containing the words marginal and/or sea:
“In realms of knowledge, we bequeath our books,
And woe pursue who to a master quotes
The funnier of our witty marginal notes.”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)
“The improved American highway system ... isolated the American-in-transit. On his speedway ... he had no contact with the towns which he by-passed. If he stopped for food or gas, he was served no local fare or local fuel, but had one of Howard Johnson’s nationally branded ice cream flavors, and so many gallons of Exxon. This vast ocean of superhighways was nearly as free of culture as the sea traversed by the Mayflower Pilgrims.”
—Daniel J. Boorstin (b. 1914)